Electric regulator



E. R. STEKLE.

K .ELECTRIC REGULAOR. 'f APPLicATloN FILED 00T. 5. 1917.

1,361,197, Patented Deo. 7, 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERWI'N R. STOEKLE, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO THE CUTLER-HAM- MER MFG. CO., 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION 0F WISCONSIN.

Specification of Letterslatent.

ELECTRIC REGULATOR.

Patented Dec. 7, 1920.

i Application mea october 5, i917. serial No. 194,850.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ERWTN R. STOEKLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county' of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electric Regulators, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a art of this specification.

his invention relates to regulators par-v ticularly applicable to a proposed electrical apparatus for measuring the flow of fluids but also susceptible of advantageous employment in other relations.

Such proposed fluid measuring apparatus comprises electrical means to supply heat to the fiowing fluid and to measure the electrical energy required' to maintain a constant temperature difference of the flowing fiuid between given points, means including selenium cells to measure the ltemperature variations resulting from variations in the flow of fluid and an electromagnetic regulator sensitive to control by said selenium cells to automatically vary the energy input of said heating means. And the present invention has among its objects to provide a simplified electromagnetic regulator for this and other purposes which will lbe efficient and reliable in operation.

A further object is to provide for the aforesaid and other purposes a simplified regulator of the follow up type and one which will provide for continuous resistance rvariations as distinguished from step by ste variations. v

ther objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear.

One embodiment of the invention is schematically Aillustrated in the accompanying drawing as incorporated in a measuring apparatus of the character above specified an the same will now be described. v

Referring to the regulator, the same comprises a mercury Well 1 provided at its lower end with a circuit terminal 2, a reciprocable carbon or other suitable electrode 3 suspended in the mercury, differential electromagnets 4 and- 5 having' a common plunger 6 supporting' said electrode, latch ing pawls 7 and 8 coperatmg with a ratchet extension nets 10 and 11 controlling said pawls. Further, the regulator comprises a piston 13 at- 9 of said plunger and electromagtachedto the electrode 3 and an auxiliary mercury well 14 communicating with the well 1 and provided with 'an adjustable plunger 15.

The mercury immersed electrode provi-des an electrical resistor of a value variable with the degree of immersion thereof and the differential windings 4 and 5 provide for raising and lowering said electrode to vary its degree 'of immersion. The electrode is provided with a spring 16 which, with the buoyant force of the mercury, normally positions the Aplunger 6 in a position of equilibrium with respect to the windings 4 and 5 whereward pull upon preponderation of winding y4 and to a downward pull upon preponderation of winding 5. The latching pawls, however, under the influence of springs 17 and 18 respectively, normally engage the ratchet extension of the plunger 6 to lock the latter against movement in either direction, the ratchet teeth 19 and 20 being reversed and so disposed as to render the pawl 7 ef-` fective to prevent downward movement and the pawl 8 effective to prevent upward movement. Thus, the plunger may be released for either upward or downward movement while being locked against reverse movement, by selective disengagement of the pawls 7 and 8 from the ratchet teeth and the electromagnets 10 and 11 are provided for this purpose. Further, as will hereinafter appear, the electromagnet 10 is connected in circuit for response upon preponderation of the winding 5 while the electromagnet 11 is connected in circuit for response upon preponderation of winding 4, whereby the plunger will be automatically freed to respond upon preponderation of either winding for corresponding adjustment of the electrode 3, but locked against return move- -ment pending a reversal in preponderation /ponderation of one winding .by the other while the latching pawls provide for maintainin the resistance adjustment thus accomplished, without dependency upon continued differential action of the windings. In other words, the regulator described pro--` vides for ,follow up7 regulation and furthermore provides for movement of the electrode 3 at varying speeds for accomplishment of such regulation, according to the degree of differential action of the windings 4 and 5. On the other hand, the piston 13, which is attached to the electrode 3 and vperforated to permit slow passage of the mercury therethrough, provides for dashing the movement of the electrodefor a given maximum speed of the latter. This tends to prevent overtravel of the electrode and consequent hunting action of the regulator.

-Further, since the electrode is always immersed in the mercury, its adjustment will effect continuous resistance variations as distinguished from Step by step variations, thereby providing for variation of the resistance in small increments and decrements. Also, the auxiliary mercury well 14 provides by adjustment of itsplunger, for variation of the resistance of the controlled circuit through variation of the level of the mercury in the well l. Thus the regulator may be readily and accurately adjusted for any given normal resistance Value.

The measuring apparatus shown comprises a fluid conduit 2l having therein an electrical heating element 22 and resistance thermometers 23 and 24, an electrical instrument 25 to measure the energy inputrof the heating element, a mirror type galvanometer 26 connected in a Wheatstone bridge including said resistance thermometers, and selenium cells 27 and28 subjected to beams of light reflected from the galvanometer through a screened lens 29, said selenium cells serving to control the above described regulator for regulation of the energy input of the heating element. Also, in the apparatus shown a magnetic amplifier 30 is provided as a regulating medium between thev source of supply for theheating element' and the above described regulator, although it is to be un-l derstood that the latter might be employed to directly control the energy input of the heating element.

The heating element is supplied with energy from an A. C. supply source L, L and the magnetic amplifier which has two windings 3l and 32, has the former winding connected in series with said heating element. On the other hand, the remaining windings 'of the apparatus are supplied with direct current derived from the A. C. source through a transformer 33 and electroionic devices 34 and 35. These electroionic devices supply such direct current to a circuit 36-37 and the 'winding 32 of the magnetic amplifier is connected across said circuit through the above described regulator whereby the regulator serves to vary the resistance of the circuit of said winding. And as will be understood an increase or decrease in the current of the winding 32 of the magnetic amplifier effects a corresponding but amplified variation in the current through the winding 3l. may be regulated by very small current variations in the D. C. control circuit and hence by slight movements of the regulator, said control circuit beingJ traceable from conductor 37 through winding 320i the magnetic amplifier by conductor 38 to terminal 2 of the regulator, thence through the regulator to the actuating plunger 6 and by conductor 39 to conductor 36.

The aforesaid lVheatstone bridge;in which the galvanometer is connected, comprises thc resistance thermometers 23 and 24 and resistances 40 and 41 and said bridge is connected by conductor 42 to conductor 36 and by conductor 43 to conductor 37. The bridge is so adjusted as to be balanced when the fluid flows at a given rate and the heating element is subjected to a given input. Hence as the rate of flow varies, the bridge will become unbalanced and deflect the galvanometer in one direction or the other according to the variation in flow of fluid. The galvanometen is subjected to a beam of light from a linear source X and the screen 44 ofthe lens through which light is reflected is provided with an opaque band which divides the reflected light into two beams for Thus the heating elementl vanometer mirror shifts it decreases the intensity of light reflected on one selenium cell while it correspondingly increases the intensity of light reflected on the other cell.

And such variations in the light reflected on the cells result in variations in the relative resistance values of said cells, which resistance variations are utilized as hereinafter set forth. y

The regulator windings 4 and. 5 are connected in lparallel across the D. C. circuit 36-37 and each of Said windings has one of the selenium cells included in series therewith. Hence assuming equal pulls of the windings 4 and 5 in normal position of the galvanometer, the selenium cells will subject said windings to control by the galvanometer and hence to control b'y the rate of flow of fluid. More specifically, a given variation in flow of fluid will 'cause a given deflection of the galvanometer which in turn will effect a given variation in the relative resistances of the two selenium cellsjwith a consequent given differential action of the regulator windingsf And as will be apparent the winding 4'will preponderate when the galvanometer is deflected in one direction, while the winding 5 will preponderate when the galvanometer is deflected inv a reverse direction. Also, it will be apparent that as the degree of preponderation varies with the degree of deflection of the galvanometer, the regulator will operate at a speed varying with the magnitude of the variation in flow of liuid. Thus if, the variation in flow of luid is slight, the regulator will op-` crate slowly, whereas if the variation in flow of fluid is large the regulator will operate at an accelerated speed, with the result of meeting the vdemands thereon without an excessive operating speed and consequent hunting tendency. y

More specifically describing the circuit connections of the regulator, one of the par- 'such thatthe latch controlling winding 10 is connected in series with the winding 5 while the latch controlling winding 11 is connected in series with'the winding 4, with the result that as the current through the windings 4 and 5 is increased, the current through the latch controlling windings will be correspondingly increased for selective tripping of the two latches according to the preponderation of the former windings.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:`

1. In an electric regulator, in combination, a `regulating member, electromagnetic windings exerting opposing pulls on said member and means for positively locking said member against movement pending a preponderating pull by one or the other oil' said windings. y

2. In an electric regulator, in combination, a regulating member, electromagnetic windings exerting `opposing pulls on said member and controllable for preponderation of either'bythe other for movement of said member in reverse directions selectively, and means' to releasably lock Said member against return movement after response to either winding, pending preponderation of the other winding.

3. In an electric regulator, in combination, a regulating member, electromagnetic windings exertingopposing pulls on said member and controllable for preponderation of either by the other for moving said member in opposite directions selectively andv means to lock said member when in given positions against movement in either direction and to release said member upon preponderation of either winding but only for movement of said member in one direction.

4. In an electric regulator, in combination, a regulating member, electromagnetic windings exerting opposing pulls on said member and controllable for preponderation of either by the other for moving said member in' opposite directions selectively and means for locking said member in any) one of a plurality of positions and for releasing said member for movement in either direction while restricting the same against movement in the opposite direction for follow up operation of said regulator.

5. In an electric regulator, in combination, a regulating member, electromagnetic windings exerting opposing pulls on said member and controllable for preponderation of either by the other for moving said member in opposite directions selectively and means for locking said member inany one of a plurality of positions and for re leasing said member for movement in either direction while restricting the same against movement in the opposite direction, said means having control windings in circuit with the former windings for the purpose set forth.

6. In an electric regulator, in combina tion, a regulating member, differential operating windings therefor, means to control said'windings for preponderation of either by the other whereby said member may be moved in opposite directions and means to lock said member when in given positions against movement in either direction, said last mentioned means beingcontrollable bv said rst mentioned means to release saicT member for movement to any one of said positons in response to said windings while 'restraining said member vagainst ,return movement, pending a reversal of preponderance of said windings.

7 In an electric regulator, in combina* tion, a regulating member, movable in opposite directions, means Icoacting with said member whereby the latter is normally locked against movement in either direction Iand lockable against movement in one direction selectively while being freed for movement in the opposite direction .and electro-v electromagnetic means Jfor controlling said locking means and means for effecting preponderation of either of said windings by the other and for controlling said electromagnetic means to effect release of said member according .to thelpreponderance of said windings.-

9. In an electric regulator, in combination, an adjustable device for effecting continuous resistance variations and electromagnetic control means for effectinov adjustment of said device and for restraining the same after adjustment thereof, said means including differential windings for directly adjusting said device.

l0. In an electric regulator, in combination, an adjustable mercury immersed member providing a variable resistance, differential windings for adjustin said member and means to releasably hol said member, after adjustment thereof, for follow up regulation.

l1. In an electric-regulator, in combination, a mercury well, a member ladjustable therein and having means associated therewith to limit the same to a given maximum rate of adjustment, electromagnetic means for effecting adjustment of said member and means to releasably hold said member, after adjustment thereof, for follow up regulation.

In witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

ERWIN R. STOEKLE. 

